Mother Knows Best
by The Seven of Us
Summary: A oneshot where Harry's youth and misery is obvious, even to the dragon. Set in fourth year. By Ruby.
1. Chapter 1

**A oneshot where Harry's youth and misery is obvious to even the dragon.**

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You smelled like the Red One, but different, like you were around the Red One's kin. Your misery poured off of you in waves, almost obscuring your true scent, together with sorrow and anger. Your people screamed and hurt my ears.

What were you, little one? You were not the dragon-humans that fed us, loved us, pained us. You were not food. You were not quite human, either. You smelled like one of the Great Cousins.

You stood there. You were not muscled like the one before, or tricky like the one before him, or strong like the female. You were small, sickly.

A hatchling, of course. Why else would you be so miserable?

 _Are you lost, Little One?_

Your faces are more mobile than ours, but we react more with our bodies. Had you been a true dragon, your tail would have thumped the ground. Your scent smelled overwhelmingly of shock.

 _You speak?_

The stick you had previously clutched like a lifeline dropped to the ground. Why you clutched it so, I did not know. Why would you hold something so fragile so dear?

 _Of course I speak, Little One. Are you lost?_

You grunted a bit, your mouth flapping like the edge of a wing-cloth. Your people were silent now. Was that all it took for them to shut up? To croon at them? Truly, these humans are simple.

 _No. No, I was sent out here._

My tail twitched. Spines shivered and clattered against each other.

 _What parent would send their hatchling into another's nest? Your humans make no sense._

 _Well…_ You looked hesitant, as if you were about to be scolded. Your eyes, large behind your funny pieces, flickered to a certain part of the stands. _My parents aren't here. They died a long time ago._

 **LINE BREAK**

Hermione, previously on the verge of bursting into tears from fright for her friend, was teetering on the edge of laughter. The audience as a whole seemed stunned, but Hermione knew her friend well, sometimes even better than Ron. She could read him, and while he seemed to be uncomfortable, he wasn't _scared_ , per se.

No, he looked like he was facing down Molly Weasley in a particularly motherly mode.

Something that was further backed up as the dragon was practically on her belly, crouched and creeping towards Harry like a cat that had no idea what the thing was but was determined to investigate it. Harry said something—she could see his lips move—and the dragon inhaled deeply, and the audience gasped with it.

She let out a minor, hysterical giggle that sounded more like a hyena than a _teehee_.

But no, the worst the dragon did was make Harry have to readjust his clothes and fight to keep his loose shirt on from the sudden vacuum. The dragon crooned, and Harry's half-bewildered, half— _flattered?_ —face flashed before the dragon whipped her tail around and slammed into the back of Harry's legs and carried him into her nest before crouching over it protectively. There was a startled yell from Harry, a scream from some Ravenclaw, and a thump as Fred fainted. A torrent of cursing and half-hissing, half-growling came from the nest—now she could hear it clearly as Harry yelled at the dragon—and the dragon looked down, and seeing Harry climbing out of the nest with an irritated look on his face, gently picked him up by the back of his shirt with one massive claw and plopped him back in it.

At the edge of the stadium, the dragon handlers looked dumbfounded. So did everyone else, for that matter.

The hissing faded away with a croon from the mother dragon, and all she could see was the back of Harry's head, but it was clear that he was exasperated, waving his arms around from inside the massive nest as he talked. She was certain it was one of his patented, _"No really, I'm fine!"_ s, or a variation thereof.

The dragon flicked an ear, but otherwise seemed to be ignoring him. Then Harry said something that made her look down again, and Harry seemed to be pacing and gesturing some more, and then the dragon looked up again—straight at her and the Weasley family surrounding her.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat, and Mrs. Weasley almost joined her son in unconsciousness. All the freckles were stark against white skin as every person in the vicinity paled with the force of the dragon's stare.

There was a whooshing growl, and then a rumble that sounded almost more like a purr of a housecat.

 **LINE BREAK**

You were confusing.

 _Your family, but not your parents?_

All you did was nod.

 _And the Bushy One, she protects you?_

 _As much as she is able. As much as they are_ all _able to._

Something rumbled and crashed. Your eyes flickered back and forth from me to your family.

 _You get into trouble?_

The cheeky grin you gave me was all the answer I needed. I shook my head. _Go. If you need me, I will be there. My thanks for taking the imposter._ And I bopped you with my snout.

You stumbled back, clutching the imposter, grinning widely. You were adorable. And tiny. And fragile. I wondered what kind of trouble you got into, and the magnitude of it, and how you got out of it. And then I remembered that smile, and of course you grinned your way out.

 _Go, Little One, or I might keep you for myself!_

You laughed as you ran, misery dispersed like fog against the sun.

I rumbled contentedly to myself.

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 **A little bit odder than my usual Harry Potter things, but it was fun to do. I've not yet written in first or second person seriously, and it was an interesting exercise. I'll probably have to come back to this later, like the adventures of the mysterious, motherly dragon and the Little One. XD**

 **Let me know what you think, please!**

 **Toodles!**

 **-Ruby**


	2. Up For Adoption

**I am…** ** _amazed_** **at the response that this thousand-word blip got. I don't really understand the fascination with it, but I can roll with it. Seriously, thirty-odd reviews requesting me to continue this, along with 100+ favorites and 50+ follows.**

 **I'll be honest and say that I don't remember anything that I may or may not have had in mind when I wrote that "I'll probably have to come back to this later", but sitting and reading through this by itself, I could come up with three different story plots and another four bits and pieces that could resolve themselves into oneshots or drabbles.**

 **I don't actually have any particular attachment to this (as cute as it is), so here are the things that I came up with in the thirty minutes I have to spare, and if any of YOU want to continue this, feel free.**

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Plot 1: Story begins with Harry running out of the arena. Dragon sulks over her eggs. Dragon handlers ask Harry to come back and talk with her some more. Dragon ends up refusing to leave Hogwarts. She ends up having an absolute fit when Harry goes into the water (water vs. fire, highly doubt that dragons like water). Then, during the end-of-the-year fiasco, she ends up rescuing Harry from Voldemort, frying the Death Eaters, and not letting Harry out of her sight for the next decade. Happily ever after, the end.

Plot 2: Story begins with Harry with his "ol' buddy, ol' pal" Voldie in the graveyard. Somehow (up to you), Mama Dragon knows that her "chick" is in danger and comes screeching in to save him, only to realize that Harry's handled himself (up to you as to how). They end up spending the summer together once she pries out of him how his relatives treat him (because you can't get much safer than under the wings of a protective dragon). Insert cutesy scenes filled with Harry getting accidentally toasted/squashed/scratched up by his "siblings". Fifth year comes around, Harry's talking with Mama Dragon and lets slip about the Blood Quill. Mama Dragon (Harry's "siblings" in tow) comes marching back to Hogwarts, pries off the roof of Hogwarts, and makes Umbridge piss her pants because she's got a protective Mama Dragon staring her down. Voldie happens to make his appearance in the Ministry shortly thereafter. Mama Dragon doesn't particularly like Sirius, but Harry does and so Harry's trying (and failing) to sneak her into the Ministry with him (because she won't let herself be left behind). Insert comical image of her getting stuck in the elevator shaft, and frying the Death Eaters that come to investigate all the roaring and banging. Voldemort happens to be in the mix. After getting her unstuck, happily ever after, the end.

Plot 3: Story begins after everything has well and truly gone to hell in a handbasket. Harry, Ron, and Hermione end up retreating to Romania (Ron's brother Charlie, for instance, invited them) for a break (or whatever suits your purpose). Mama Dragon instantly recognizes Harry again and Ron, Hermione, and the dragon handlers spend the next two or three days trying to convince her that letting him go was a good idea, really. Of course, during those two or three days, Harry is catching her up on all the trouble that he's gotten into and out of, and she's incensed by his treatment in his homeland. On the last day, she just cracks and flies out of the dragon sanctuary, west to Britain, dragging Harry along with her. She starts cleaning up Britain by virtue of prying off the Ministry of Magic's roof and stringing wizards up by their collars. Harry, of course, is alternately crying with laughter and pointing out people that he for sure knows aren't great people. She treats them humanely, if a little roughly, and plops them back in the middle of the dragon sanctuary, in a cave on the side of the mountain. She tells them, with Voldemort and Harry translating, that if they make a break for it, the nearest fence is fifty miles east and they will be stopped with extreme prejudice. Unsurprisingly, _this_ prison holds until the last Death Eater dies. Voldemort died early on when he assumed that he was mighty enough to withstand dragonfire. Happily ever after, the end.

Oneshot/drabble 1: Mama Dragon communicating with the handlers via writing clumsily in the dirt that she wants Harry. He gets there just in time to watch his "siblings" hatch.

Oneshot/drabble 2: Mama Dragon gives dragon-esque tips on winning the Tournament.

Oneshot/drabble 3: Harry, shortly after the First Task, wanders down to where the handlers are herding the dragons back into their crates, and talks to Mama Dragon about his nightmare. He ends up falling asleep against her nice and warm flank, and wakes up in Romania. (Oops.)

Oneshot/drabble 4: Mama Dragon insists on watching her "chick" kick ass. When her _actual_ chicks hatch, they join in on watching Harry, too, and the family freaks out the rest of the spectators. Probably because the stands are wooden…

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 **(P.S.—why** ** _do_** **you people like this so much? Was it the POV?)**


End file.
